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exposethecriminals ago

‘I believe Ani Black’: Sexual abuse and the silence that poisons communities

Sometimes it’s hard to communicate a direct truth in a direct way. We merely suggest or indicate or postulate because we want to be careful not to be the person who is responsible for the kōrero. To risk your own mana and the mana of your whānau and your community by speaking plainly and directly takes courage, mana and certainty.

Anihera Zhou Black directly and plainly outing her husband of 26 years, Tauranga Moana leader Awanui Black, as a paedophile, was a shattering experience.

Time and again, we Māori men seem daunted by the horror before us and sit mute. We really do need to start talking to each other, to our wāhine and to our whānau. We need to show leadership in overcoming this scourge in our communities. We need to be brave enough to admit that Awanui’s strengths do not discount what has been said by his wife.

Our leaders and our men need to have the courage to say: I hear you. I am shocked, saddened, and horrified that this occurred. If you were a victim, you can come to us and you will be believed, we will help you find support and we will help you tell your story if that is what you want.

Let’s break the silence and let victims know that we are with them. Let’s break the silence and have a hard and courageous conversation about sexual abuse in our communities. To paraphrase Ani, let’s break the silence with a cry or a scream; it is this silence that is a violence to our soul.

think- ago

That's a really great text.

I think some people might be hesitant to speak up since they fear that the Maori community might get discredited when one of their leaders turns out to be a perp. At least this has been my impression from cases in native communitites in the US and in Canada.